"Using Middle America as her muse, Kowch draws the history of a particular place -- invariably rural -- to the surface as it collides with a new reality in layers of metaphor and moodiness. The faces of her women may remind you of characters in a Tim Burton film."
--Steve Parks, Newsday

Saturday, September 22, 2007

"Louise" 20" x 30" Acrylic on board

I did this portrait of my great-aunt in the quest to focus on evoking a mood, and telling a story through portraiture, as well as just for the sheer pleasure of going back to my photorealism roots. Portraiture has always been one of my first loves, and I always jump at the chance to do it when the opportunity arises. Hope you enjoy.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

"The Guests" - Allegory of the Five Senses SOLD40" x 30" Acrylic on canvas

Completed this past June, this painting is an addition to my current series of works that symbolically fuse various ideas and subject matter, and is one of my many pieces that serve as a representation of my interest in symbolism. With this particular painting, my aim was to take different subject matter and juxtapose it all in a way that ultimately created a metaphor for the five senses. The task of picking and choosing various elements to put in a painting, and then the challenge of taking those elements and using them in a way that creates a cohesive and believable situation, is an imperative part of my message-making process.

This painting is a further exploration of my goal to create images that speak of various issues without being too overt, because I believe that art has to allow room for viewer interpretation. Many of the visual stories I create are left open-ended, because I wish to encourage interaction from the viewer. Thus, while my works are created with an initial idea behind them, I make sure I execute them in such a way that leaves room for viewers to form their own stories and conclusions. The Guests, I feel, is a good example of the things I consider when working on a piece – though it is, in essence, my own interpretation of the five senses, to another it may be a story about something else, despite the fact that the main idea will always be present.

Well, I'm finally sitting down to update this blog, which I've been neglecting for quite a while. Above you will find some new work that I've recently completed, along with some preliminary studies that helped finalize the process. Hope you enjoy, and, as usual, I welcome any feedback that you may have. Thanks!

DIRECT ART MAGAZINE, Vol. 18

American Art Collector #69

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Andrea Kowch (b.1986) was born in Michigan, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BFA from the College for Creative Studies. A winner of numerous regional, national, and international honors for her art, Andrea has had work exhibited in such places as Washington D.C.’s Capitol Hill and Corcoran Gallery of Art, New York City’s Diane von Furstenberg Gallery, and Miami’s Margulies Collection, before the age of twenty. She is also a 2005 award winner and alumna of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, an honor which ranks her among the top 2% of young American talent.
Having recently completed her third consecutive solo exhibition in New York, she now paints and exhibits full-time, and is featured in various publications and art annuals, including CMYK, American Art Collector, Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, and Newsday. She is represented by the Richard J. Demato Gallery in New York, and her works hang in public, museum, and private collections.